Friday, October 8, 2010

"[B]ecause of iniquity, the love of many shall wax cold"

One of the more understated prophesies of the last days is that the love towards our brothers and sisters will drastically diminish in the last days. See JSM 1:10, 30; Matt. 24:12; D&C 45:27. In a most poignant example of this, a fourth teenager from Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio has recently committed suicide as a result of peer bullying in the school. Wouldn't you think that after the third student suicide that was related to bullying occurred, the school would step in and do something? The article can be found here.

If it weren't enough that Sladjana Vidovic was brought to the pitiful state of self-immolation by the acts of her peers, as the mourning family watched a few of the girls who had tormented Sladjana for months walked up to her casket — and laughed. Sladjana was laid in her casket wearing a pink dress that she planned to wear to the prom, and the scoffing girls were apparently mocking the way their deceased schoolmate was dressed and looked.

Wow! Talk about cold-hearted.

As indicated by the Savior in the scriptures cited above, it is because iniquity abounds in the last days that the love of man is quenched. Today there are innumerable sources of iniquity in our world, some that are becoming increasingly accessible, such as pornography in all its forms. I believe that with the influx of a tidal wave of pornography since the late 1990's, we have steadily become more desensitized and cold to the human emotion. Is it any wonder that Alma urged his son Shiblon to “bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love" (Alma 38:12)? This counsel applies equally to all of us. The more our society indulges in iniquity, in any form, and accepts it as normal, the colder we become.

6 comments:

Sometimes I wonder if our love is waxing cold from generation to generation...i.e. not as much that we personally gain a certain amount and then lose it.

If that is the case it would be hard to ever know if it is happening and to what extent (outside of viewing statistical analysis about marriages, etc.). I can't say how 40-year olds loved their fellow man in the 1900's.

Love is interesting on many levels. It can't really be taught, and it doesn't automatically come. Once you have it, it grows and you realize what you had before wasn't anything compared to what you have now. From this, you can see that love comes in degrees. Would we notice if we were at a low degree when we haven't contemplated a higher one?

I have a coherent thought somewhere, but can't express it. Oh well. Good post Jer.

As we turn inward in our pursuits, such as video games and computer gadgets, I think we will see an increased desensitization that will turn us cold against those around us, especially in our families. I think spending an inordinate time on anything that isolates us, this is only two examples, there are more. In order to overcome this we must spend time with our children serving those in our neighborhoods, cities and communities. Service is the cure in my opinion.

Oh Squiggly Line

Oh squiggly line in my eye fluid;I see you there lurking on the periphery of my vision.But when I try to look at you, you scurry away.Are you shy, squiggly line?Why only when I ignore you, do you return to the center of my eye?Oh squiggly line! It’s alright; you are forgiven.